Broken Tonight
by cherrygurl1225
Summary: Jack enlists Jeff and Britta's help in finding Tru after she's gone missing. But finding her was just the beginning. Minor additional crossovers with Party Down and Freaks and Geeks.
1. Chapter One

**Community and Tru Calling Crossover: Broken Tonight**

**Chapter One**

Jack Harper sighed heavily. He looked up at the building in front of him, then looked down at the flimsy piece of paper in his hand. Yup, that was the correct building.

He tried to clear his mind of thoughts of the past as he climbed up the steps of the building and opened the door. Clearing his mind, however, was no easy feat. Maybe he felt a pang of guilt. Maybe uncertainty. But asking some girl that he had a fling with years ago for help of a different kind made the bile rise in his throat.

He took the elevator to the second floor and stopped at the main desk.

"I'm looking for Britta Perry?" he inquired.

"Down the hall on your left, Office 208," the receptionist replied as she busied herself with work.

_208… 208… _

He walked down the hall, his eyes searching for the correct number on the door. This building really did look just like an office building, but, right now and to him, the woman in Office 208 might have the answer to the mystery he needed solved. And he needed it solved quickly.

He knocked on the door.

The door opened and Jack recognized the familiar blonde hair of the woman standing before him instantly.

"I'm sorry, can I-… Oh, my God…" Britta said in breathless disbelief. She recognized Jack Harper without hesitation. And that was saying a lot considering she couldn't remember all of the guys from her past that she'd hooked up with at one time or another.

Jack just grinned. "So it's Special FBI Agent Britta Perry now, huh? Or do you still go by Britta?"

Britta rolled her eyes. "If you tell me you've been meaning to return my call, but just haven't gotten around to it, I'm sorry but you're a little more than ten years too late. Are we done?"

"What… no, look, I know it's been awhile, but I looked up this agency online last night and just happened to see your name," he replied. He then lowered his voice. "This isn't about us or the one night stand we had years ago. I actually really need your help."

"Did you lose your car keys?" Britta retorted, clearly thinking Jack's act was some sort of façade, like he was hiding something else.

"I'm serious, Britta. It's about my girlfriend. She's been missing for about three days now."

He pulled out a picture and handed it to her. She took it reluctantly.

Her eyes widened as she gasped with recognition.

"Oh, my God… _Tru._"

* * *

"Yeah, I found her," Jeff Winger said, speaking into his cell phone as he glanced over at the young brunette he'd found in the alleyway only minutes before. "She's definitely hurt. Her face is bruised, her forehead is bleeding and I think she sprained one of her ankles trying to escape. She also seems very disoriented, like she may have been drugged."

Britta was on the other end of the line. "Tell her you know me."

Jeff carefully approached Tru Davies, her brown hair in messy tangles and covering a part of her injured face.

"Tru…" he almost whispered. "I know you're scared and you don't want to talk, but will you at least listen to me?"

She looked up at him, her frightened eyes surveying his face carefully. His voice was soft and his movements around her were slow and cautious, as if he were afraid she might break.

He took a deep breath and continued. "Do you remember your friend Britta from high school?" He pulled out a small picture of Britta from his pocket and showed it to her. "That's who's on the phone with me right now. We got married last year. Here, she wants to talk to you."

Jeff gave the phone to Tru who took it with a shaky hand.

"Tru… I know it's been many years, but I'm back in New York. You did so much for me back in high school. Just let me help you right now, okay?"

"Britta…" Tru barely managed to choke out. "Do you know the guy who… who-…"

"The guy in front of you is Jeff. We're married. He just offered to help me find you. He's gonna take you back to our place, okay?"

A sudden reassurance flooded over Tru at the sound of Britta's voice. Somehow that made everything better.

"Okay," she agreed.

She handed the phone back to Jeff who stepped out of earshot to wrap up the conversation with Britta.

Tru had escaped from her captivity. Wherever that was. And then she ran. She ran until her legs could no longer support her and she collapsed on the black asphalt of some alleyway in the middle of God-knows-where. But, as Jeff walked back over to her and gazed into her eyes, she suddenly felt safe again.

For the first time since she had escaped from the place that had held her prisoner, a place she barely remembered, she could stop running.

* * *

As soon as Britta got off the phone with Jeff, she headed into the bathroom and closed the door. On the corner of the sink, there was a box that she had placed there a few hours before. She grabbed the box and took out the white stick inside.

_Here goes nothing…_

Slow deep breaths. Slow deep breaths. A part of her was hoping for a way out of this, another answer to a question she didn't want to admit to even thinking about. Only minutes later, she had her answer.

_Shit. Shit._

"Shit!" she finally screamed out loud as she looked down at the pregnancy test. "Not now…"

She took a few minutes to try and collect herself, but ended up slumped against a wall of the bathroom with her head between her legs.

_I don't need this right now…_

If there was one thing Britta knew in her heart, it was that abortion wasn't the answer. But she had no idea how to break the news to Jeff. Sure, they were married, but they had planned on waiting to have kids. Her mind wandered briefly back to the night she thought it had happened. The night where they both inevitably ended up drinking to their hearts content at L Street (or was it The Red Door?) where they were celebrating their first year wedding anniversary in the ways only Jeff and Britta knew how. Annie, Troy and Abed had showed up to their celebration, but Shirley had something with her kids and Pierce was attempting to reboot the Hawthorne Wipes Moist Towelette Corporation (yes, it was a corporation now) in Los Angeles. A night of drunken anniversary fun had turned into a night of passionate sex back at the house they now shared.

But now, her friend Tru had to be her priority.

_So then I just won't tell Jeff. Not yet anyway. Maybe I-…_

But her thoughts were interrupted by none other than Jeff himself.

"Honey, I'm home!"

_Crap._

"I'm… coming!" Britta called as she hastily threw the pregnancy test in the trash, then pulled out some tampons and dumped them in the trash to cover the pregnancy test.

_He'll never look in there now._

Britta rushed out of the bathroom to find Jeff and her injured friend Tru. Jeff hadn't been kidding. Tru was in pretty bad shape. Bruises covered her face and a small stream of blood was dripping from a cut on her forehead. She also seemed to be limping and various parts of her lavender blouse and jeans had been torn.

"Tru… Oh, my God…" Britta pulled Tru into a gentle embrace.

"Britta, I-…" Tru began, but tears started streaming down her cheeks faster than she could stop them and she just buried her face in her friend's shoulder.

Jeff stepped back respectfully, briefly making eye contact with Britta.

"I can see you two need some time alone. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

Britta nodded slightly as Jeff left the two girls alone.

"_Shhh,_ it's gonna be okay now, Tru. You're safe here."

Tru pulled back, gazing into Britta's eyes.

"After all these years…" Tru murmured softly. "Just… thank you."

Britta smiled, glad they could reconnect instantly, but wishing it was under different circumstances. Tru was the only one who seemed to understand Britta and take the time to listen to her. The two shared more than their love of ska music and Radiohead and giggling over the latest pictures of celebrities from 90's teen soap operas. They shared a friendship, a kinship that had run deep. One that had been broken unintentionally.

"Come on," Britta told her. "You can stay in our spare guest room. Let's go get you cleaned up."

"I can hear his voice, but I can't see his face," Tru said to Britta after Tru had changed into a fresh pair of older clothes that Britta had. Britta now sat beside her, cleaning the cut on her forehead and checking for other signs of bruising and injury.

"We'll find him. We'll find the person that did this to you," Britta reassured her. "In the meantime, Jack will be coming over soon. Is there anyone else we can call for you?"

"My brother Harrison and my boss Davis," Tru replied. "T-they should know."

"We'll call them for you. Don't worry. But for now, I think you should get some sleep."

Despite the trauma, Tru looked and felt drowsy. The powerful effects of whatever she had been drugged with during her captivity still lingered inside of her, threatening to pull her under deeper into the black pit of disorientation and confusion.

Britta propped Tru's leg up on a pillow while Tru settled into the bed. Barely five minutes later, she was fast asleep.

Britta sighed, gazing at her sleeping friend for a moment, before getting up and closing the door gently behind her. When Britta went into the kitchen, Jeff told her that Jack was on his way and would be there in the next hour or two.

* * *

When Jack arrived, Tru was still sleeping. After Jeff and Jack had shaken hands and make some brief small talk, Britta led Jack to the guest room where Tru was sleeping.

Jack entered the room quietly and carefully walked over to the bed, leaning down to brush a soft kiss against Tru's forehead.

"Hey, sweetheart," he whispered softly.

Tru began to stir slowly, opening her eyes to find Jack watching her.

_That voice…_

Suddenly, Tru screamed loudly, her body shaking as she burst into tears.

"BRITTA!"

"Tru… what… what is it? What's wrong?" Britta asked, charging into the room only seconds after hearing her name. "What's wrong?"

"He… his… his voice. His voice… that's…. I…"

"Tru, sweetheart…" Jack began.

"Jack, let her finish!"

"T-that's him…" Tru said, her voice a panicked whisper.

"What?" Britta asked, slightly confused.

Tru drew a deep breath.

"He's the one that kidnapped me."

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **Welcome to what is the beginning of one of the most intense fanfics I've ever written! The title comes from a song called Broken Tonight by Armin Van Buuren feat. Van Valzen. It's a trance music song. This fic focuses on Britta/Tru friendship as well as some romantic pairings that I'll leave up to you guys to figure out. No Britta/Tru slash is involved, even though it looks that way in the summary line. I've had bits and pieces of this story in my head for awhile and decided it was finally time to write it all down. I adore both of these amazing TV shows to no end, so hold on, folks! You're in for quite a ride!

A quick note that the next chapter probably won't be up for awhile since I need to focus on my scriptwriting. But I'll try to update again during my Spring Break or in the summertime. For now, I hope everyone that's reading this enjoys this chapter.

**This story is dedicated to my friend Jess. Thank you for putting up with grumpy me almost every morning and for your patience, kindness, understanding and silliness. You are an amazing friend and I feel very blessed to have met you! I love you SO much! Also, by the end of this fic, you WILL be a Britta/Jack shipper. ;)**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

"Tru… I didn't…" Jack tried to protest. His face turned pale at her unexpected comment. He held his arms open, trying to show her he meant no harm. "Baby, I wouldn't hurt you."

Tru slowly backed away from his open arms.

Her throat was dry, parched. "Britta…"

"I'm here, Tru," Britta replied, standing at the foot of the bed. She then addressed Jack. "Maybe you should leave. I have a lot to handle right now and I think it's best if-"

"If I leave?" Jack questioned. "But Tru… she… she needs me. You need me. This investigation isn't over."

"Jack, I just… look, I'm dealing with a lot, okay?"

"Can we talk in private then?" Jack asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't want to be alone right now," Tru said quietly, meeting Britta's eyes.

Jack took a few steps back, moving away, as Britta came to the side of the bed. She reached out and squeezed Tru's hand. "I understand. But I do need to talk to Jack for a little while. Is it okay if Jeff stays with you?"

Tru's gaze flickered to Jack as she stared at him for a moment, her eyes full of accusation and suspicion, before flickering back to Britta's where they filled with warmth and understanding. She nodded quietly, squeezing Britta's hand in response.

"Jeff? Could you come in here, please?"

Jeff appeared in the doorway of the guest bedroom about a minute later. "Is everything okay in here, Britta?"

"Can you stay with Tru? I just need to talk to Jack for a few minutes and I don't want to leave her alone."

"Of course," Jeff replied. Britta stood up from the bed and met Jeff in the middle of the room between the bed and the door. He kissed her forehead softly, pulling a stray strand of blond hair away from her eyes.

"Thank you," Britta said quietly. Then, suddenly, her voice became firm, authoritative. "After I talk with Jack, I think we should take Tru to the hospital and get her checked out."

She turned to Jack, explaining everything with a confident authority. "Our mutual friend Annie is a nurse at one of the hospitals here and our friend Rich is a doctor. I've known them both for a few years now and I'd only want Tru to have the best care."

"The hospital? Britta, I'm-" Tru began to protest.

"Not gonna argue," Britta told Tru, her voice softening, if only a little bit. "I only want what's best for you and I really think someone should take a look at you."

Sure, Britta was more than a little flustered and also concerned about the well-being of her best friend from years ago. But she was determined to follow through with this investigation. She had to. For Tru's sake… right?

* * *

Britta sighed, frustrated, as Jack followed her into another room, leaving Jeff to watch Tru as he sat beside her on the guest bed, whispering softly. Britta shut the door of the guest room and walked into the hallway, Jack following in perfect sync behind her.

"I'm just as worried about Tru as you are, Britta," Jack began. "But you seem even more agitated than I remember when I first asked you to look for Tru. Is everything okay? Are you sure you can handle this? I can find someone else to take the case if you-…"

"No, Jack," Britta said firmly, turning on her heel to face him. "I have to do this. I owe it to Tru. I owe it myself. She helped me so much in high school. If I don't help her now, it's just… it'll be like I'm letting her down."

"No," Jack replied softly. "You wouldn't be letting her down. I'm worried about you, too, you know."

Britta nearly scoffed. "You don't have to worry about me. Look, I think the best thing for you to do right now is to give Tru some space and let her heal. She's pretty shaken up by all this."

"Wait… so… I worry about both you and Tru and now you're telling me to stay away from my girlfriend?"

"It would only be temporary. I know you wouldn't hurt her, Jack. But Tru's scared. She's been through a lot and she needs time. Jeff and I will look after her. We'll be in touch, though, and-…"

Her voice trailed off suddenly, a hand going down to her stomach.

"_Oh, God…_" she moaned uncomfortably as she half-walked, half-ran to the bathroom. Not even bothering to close the door, she rushed to the toilet and lifted up the seat. Her upset stomach churned furiously as she coughed. After a few moments, the first wave of nausea passed and she took a breath.

"Well, that doesn't sound like food poisoning. Then again, what do I know? Tru's the med school student and all, though I've seen some pretty interesting and gruesome things during my time as an EMT."

Jack stood in the doorway, watching Britta as she now glared at him furiously.

"Can you just… just go away! I don't feel well..."

Her stomach churned again and she could feel the nausea as it began to resurface.

"Can I get you anything? Water… Tums… a pregnancy test?" Jack asked, his voice casual, but all-knowing.

Britta threw up again before turning her attention to Jack.

"How did you… WHAT?"

Angry, Britta pulled Jack into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"Whoa, easy. You _are_ married now after all. Though I gotta say, I am flattered."

Britta was still not impressed.

"How the hell do you know I'm-…"

Jack pointed the box the pregnancy test had come in. It was still on the bathroom sink. She'd thrown away the pregnancy test earlier, but in her haste to take care of Tru, completely forgot to dispose of the box.

_Shit._

"Ugh, you suck!"

"You're welcome," Jack said lightly. "Though your mood swings and nausea also clued me in to-…"

"If you tell Jeff about my pregnancy, I swear I'll-…" She paused, her voice trailing off. "I'll think of something!"

"I respect you, Britta. I won't tell him. But you're gonna have to tell him eventually."

"I know. It's just that right now with you… and with Tru… I… just…"

And suddenly, there were tears in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks. Suddenly, she was in Jack's arms, the protective weight of them giving her a warm, odd sense of comfort. Suddenly, Jack's lips ever so gently and lightly brushed across her forehead.

"You're doing the best you can. I know you care a lot about Tru and I respect and admire you for wanting to go through with this case. But promise me that when you take Tru to the hospital, you get checked out, too, okay? Or else I'm gonna have to have a talk with that Nurse Annie friend of yours."

Britta didn't say anything. She just listened to his words.

Her head pressed against his chest, she breathed in deeply.

"Yeah, I will," she finally said. "As soon as I know that Tru's being taken care of, I will."

"Promise me. Because, right now, I'm worried about both of you."

"I promise."

* * *

Jack and Britta emerged from the bathroom and headed back to the guest room. Britta knocked on the door quietly before opening it. When she opened it, she found Jeff on the bed with Tru. He remained on top of the covers, his body curled in a certain way that would match the way Tru was laying with her head on his chest.

"What's going on? How is she?" Britta whispered to Jeff as Jack followed her inside.

Jeff smiled slightly, whispering back. "She's tough, that's for sure. I tried to ask her some questions about the incident, but I think the questions scared her. She then asked me if I could stay while she takes a nap and I promised her I would."

"She thinks that I kidnapped her, doesn't she?" Jack asked, glaring at Jeff.

"To be perfectly honest with you, Jack, I wouldn't blame her."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jack spat. "So you're taking her side? Won't you even consider all sides of the story… the facts? I came to Britta for a reason."

"Yeah, a very twisted one," Jeff half-spoke, half-muttered under his breath. "What games are you trying to play here, Jack? What's in it for you? And, more importantly, why drag my wife into your pathetic scheming bullshit?"

"Guys, can we just-" Britta cut in, trying to break up the augmenting heat of an argument developing between the two men.

Just then, Tru started to stir.

"Britta… Jeff…"

"Hey, I'm still with you. We both are," Jeff whispered reassuringly, stroking her hair as Tru struggled back into consciousness, but remained disoriented. "I won't let Jack come anywhere near you."

Jeff's eyes met Jack's as Jeff's intuitive instincts kicked in. His instincts that told him he didn't trust Jack. Not at all. Glaring into Jack's eyes confirmed this.

* * *

When a mini bout of chaos struck the room once more, all Britta wanted to do was excuse herself and leave. There was too much noise. Too much commotion. And she was feeling sick to her stomach again. Though it had been decided that Tru needed to go to a hospital, Jack and Jeff were still arguing. Tru remained silent. Too tired and still too disoriented to respond. The only physical contact she'd been okay with was Britta's hugs and Jeff's gentle embrace as she slept curled up in a tight ball against Jeff's chest barely a half an hour before.

Though momentarily shocked by the sight of them together, Britta knew better than to suspect anything. She knew from her background as a Women's Studies major at Greendale, her Master's in Criminal Justice at a private university in New York and through her internship working at a trauma center that all Tru needed right now was plenty of time and rest. It was natural for her to feel "bonded" to Jeff in a sense. He had been her savior, the first person she had seen when she escaped from her captivity and the only male figure – so far – that she seemed to trust. Besides, she also trusted Jeff and his judgment. The bond between her and Jeff. It was strong… right?

But there was something else she worried about. Not just the fact that she couldn't feel like she could open up to Jeff, but it was something else. Someone else.

_Jack._

His presence, the way he was so close to her. He comforted her in a way that Jeff couldn't. In a way that Jeff would never be able to. He understood her on another level, if that were even possible for a one night stand from several years ago. But there was a lingering connection, one that she couldn't deny. Not love. Not quite. But attraction.

Britta stood in front of the sink as those thoughts played over and over again in full, vivid Technicolor in her mind. The nausea resurfaced and she coughed and coughed, her throat sore from effort.

Okay, it was official.

Being pregnant _sucked._

"_You really should tell Jeff, you know," _a voice said from behind her.

Startled, she jumped and turned around.

"W-who-who the hell are you? How did you get in my house?"

"_Whoa, easy. Me? Let's just say I'm… a friend. Or foe. Jury's still out there, though I'm sure Jack and Tru would be more than happy to fill you in on their opinion of me."_

"You… you know Tru?" Britta's voice was thick as her palms began to sweat.

"_I know her a lot better than you might think."_

"What do you want with her?"

"_Want?" _he chuckles. _"Now that's just one of those odd words, isn't it? I don't want anything. Not anymore anyway."_

Their gazes met. Jensen's fiery blue eyes searing right through Britta's as if to somehow take control of her…

"_You're Britta Perry, right? Tru's mentioned you in the past, but…"_ His gaze flickered down to her stomach. It remained there. _"I didn't think much of it when Tru mentioned your name to me in passing, but now I know you two are a lot closer than I originally thought. Friendship runs deep like that… a bond… like motherhood…"_

"Get out," Britta threatened. "I don't know who you are or what you want with me or Tru, but just get out. _Now._"

"_Wow, those pregnancy hormones really have you in a tizzy, huh? I don't think it's good for your little girl to be feeling all of this stress."_

_Girl?_ Britta wondered briefly. _I'm having a girl?_ And then her mind shifted back into focus.

"_The name's Jensen Ritchie. And you can rest assured that I'll be keeping an extra special eye on The Case of Tru Davies that you're trying so desperately hard to solve. Keep in mind. The answers might be closer than you think."_

He paused. Then he spoke again without giving Britta a chance to respond.

"_We'll see each other again, Britta Perry."_

He moved towards her in one quick motion, his body evaporating right into Britta. He had just walked right through her. She had no other explanation and was left with no other distinct feelings other than a cold shiver.

And it scared the shit out of her.

She tried to steady her breath, keep calm, focus. She tried all of the techniques she'd taught people in the trauma center.

_You're fine. You're perfectly…_

"Britta?" Jack's voice cut her reverie short. "Britta, are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Finally meeting Jack's perfect crystalline blue eyes, Britta whispered to him. "Yeah, I think I just did."

Suddenly, the world around her dissolved and faded to black.

* * *

"_Mommy! Mommy!"_

_Britta slowly drifted back into consciousness. She slowly drifted away from the pleasant dream she'd been having about her and Jeff. A naughty yet satisfying fantasy, one might say. _

_She woke instead to her little girl's cries and a weak but desperate tugging on the sheets of her bed._

"_What… what is it, sweetie?" she peered down at her daughter, whispering softly. "What's wrong?"_

"_I'm scared, Mommy," the little girl said, tears in her eyes as she stared up at her mother. "Storm is scary."_

"_Oh, the thunderstorm woke you up?"_

_She nodded._

_The rain pounded against the windows of their house as lightening flashed and thunder struck. Britta didn't want to admit to her daughter that even she was a little scared._

_She sat up quickly and scooped her daughter into her lap._

"_Let's go back to your room, okay, sweetie?" Britta whispered, smoothing out the girl's blond curls with one hand. "We don't want to wake Daddy."_

_She took her daughter back into her room and sat on the bed, her daughter in her lap once more. Her eyes glanced over at her daughter's pink clock where the numbers read: 1 AM. Beside the clock, there was a single picture. A picture of Britta and her daughter at her daughter's five-year birthday party. Also in the picture was Tru and a little brunette girl, who looked no more than three years old, smiling widely as she sat on Tru's lap. What a wonderful party that had been. _

_Britta's daughter squirmed in her lap just then, disrupting her mother's brief reverie.  
_

"_The storm can't hurt you, baby," she said reassuringly. "It's outside. We're inside."_

"_It's loud. I'm scared."_

_The little girl covered her ears._

"_Shhh," Britta whispered, stroking her daughter's hair. "It's okay, sweetie. Mommy's here. Everything's OK."_

_The little girl curled up, pressed fervently against her mother's chest. She listened to her mother's heartbeat and whimpered softly. Britta took Patches, her daughter's favorite teddy bear from her bed, and told her to hold onto Patches really tight, hoping it would bring her some additional comfort. _

_It was this part of being a parent that broke Britta's heart. She'd helped so many people during her time at the trauma center and had helped and continued to help and solve many missing person cases. She helped people. So why couldn't she comfort her own daughter?_

_Britta pressed a gentle kiss into her daughter's hair and leaned back, settling down with her on the small bed._

"_It's okay, sweetie. Mommy's here. You're safe. It's okay. It's okay…"_

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note:** Finally! An update! Huzzah! Hope this is still keeping readers out there intrigued. Lots more twists and turns as well as other Tru Calling and Community characters to come. Apologies for the delay in updates, but I find that if I write this story in bits and pieces, scene by scene, I'll have a chapter ready to go faster than I think. Anyway, I'm still super busy with school, my internship and scriptwriting, but I promise not to give up on this story. Special thanks to Sonya and Jessie for the extra encouragement. Stay tuned for more and please review!


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Jack didn't have time to respond, just react. As Britta started to fall, he caught her. He struggled momentarily, adjusting his hold on the limp blond in his arms.

"Britta…" he whispered, dragging out her name, but knowing she wouldn't hear him. He sighed heavily, carrying her into the hallway.

"Jeff," he called out. "Can you meet me in the living room? It's Britta. She fainted."

Jeff was out of the guest bedroom where Tru remained in what seemed like less than two seconds.

"What are you… oh, God."

"I'll put her on the couch in the living room. Do you have any smelling salts or anything?"

"I think I know how to take care of my wife, Jack. And how do I know you aren't responsible for making Britta faint?"

Jack paled. "I'm-…I'm not, I swear. You can ask her when she wakes up."

Jeff eyed the other man mistrustfully as Jack's gaze tears away from Jeff's and he goes over to the couch, laying her down gently. He positioned a pillow underneath her head properly and gently brushed some of her blond curls from her face. Noticing Jeff's intent gaze still upon him, he backed away.

"She's all yours," he said, holding up his hands and staying at a distance.

Jeff was instantly at Britta's side. "Britta, sweetheart, wake up."

Britta slowly began to stir.

"It's okay, sweetie. Mommy's here… It's okay…" she mumbled as her eyes began to flutter open. "It's okay…"

Without warning, she came to, breathing heavily. "I… no…"

"Britta, you're not making any sense," Jeff whispered softly. "You just fainted, but it's okay. You're safe now."

Britta's eyes go wide as she looks at Jeff. "Jeff, I saw-…"

Then she faltered.

"You saw what, sweetheart?"

"Nothing," Britta replied, her breathing slowly returning to normal. "It's nothing." She then turned her attention to Jack who still maintained a respectful distance.

"But I did see Jensen," she told him. "He wants to hurt Tru. I know it. I-…"

Jack took a step forward, but still remained at a cautious distance. "Jensen? That's who you saw?"

"Who's Jensen?" Jeff cut in.

"You're better off not knowing," Jack replied, his response sharp and terse.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I know what game he's playing and I just figured out how he's playing it. I know you don't trust my word, Jeff, but just listen to your wife at least. Please."

"What goes on between me and my wife is none of your business. Need I remind you that you're a suspect in this investigation?"

Jack took a step back and held up his hands in defense. "Message received."

Jeff turned his attention back to Britta. "Are you feeling okay? Maybe we should get you checked out at the hospital when we take Tru."

"I'm feeling fine," Britta said, sitting up. "We really should get Tru to the hospital."

Upon noticing looks of concern from both Jack and Jeff, Britta's look was insistent. She was ready to get back to business. Back to this case. Back to work.

"I'm _fine_!"

* * *

Despite Tru's feeble protests, it was Jeff that carried Tru to the car and carried her out of the car and into the hospital. Like Britta, Tru was also very stubborn, but both Jeff and Britta felt that it was best that Tru not put weight on her injured leg until it was checked out.

Britta flashed her badge to the nurse at the nurse's station desk. "Britta Perry, FBI. My friend Tru has been severely injured. I was told Dr. Rich was on call today. I'd also like to speak with one of the nurses, Annie Edison. She's a friend of mine and-…"

As if on cue, a high-pitched voice called out. "Britta!"

The young brunette flung herself into Britta's arms before Britta could say anything.

"Whoa, it's good to see you too, Annie."

"What seems to be the…" Annie's voice trailed off as she saw Jeff holding Tru in his arms. "I need a gurney!"

Minutes later, there was a gurney. Only getting Tru on the gurney proved difficult as she clung desperately to Jeff's neck and it was almost impossible for Jeff to extricate himself from her grasp.

"Nooo… Jeff… Britta!" Tru protested. "No, don't let them take me away! Don't let them."

"Tru, you're gonna be okay," Jeff told her, looking at Britta for support as she echoed him.

"Yes, you're going to be fine. I'll come in and stay with you for as long as you want me to when Dr. Rich and Annie have made sure you're okay."

"No… don't… don't…" But Tru's objecting protests were soon cut short as a needle slid into her arm and a sedative calmed her, making her plunge into a drug-induced sleep.

"It'll be awhile, but I'll take good care of her, okay?" Annie said.

"You're the best, Annie," Jeff told her. "We owe you. Bigtime."

"Yeah, thank you so much, Annie," Britta added.

"Don't mention it," Annie replied as she then rushed off to take care of Tru.

Britta had to admit she was really proud of Annie. She had majored in Health Care Management at Greendale, gotten her Master's degree in Nursing at a some private university in New York as well as additional advanced certification in CPR. Suddenly, she'd landed herself a full-time job at this very hospital and never looked back. Annie had always been the go-getter and had been the one to convince Britta herself to go on for a Master's degree. She really couldn't thank her enough.

Jeff and Britta went into the waiting room, taking two seats in the far corner of the room, away from the other people anxiously awaiting news of friends and loved ones.

"Remind me why we trust him again?" Jeff asked.

"Jeff, we've been through this. Rich is-…"

"Britta, anyone that happy has some serious screws loose."

About a half an hour or so later, Rich approached them, a file in his hand.

"Hey, guys!" he greeted them, a little too cheerily. "Your friend Tru seems like she'll be fine. She's one tough cookie."

"I called it first," Jeff replied, a know-it-all smirk on his face as he looked at Britta.

"She has some bruises and scratches, a moderate concussion and a badly sprained ankle, but nothing that isn't fixable. Still, I'd recommend she stays here for a week or so and we'll run some additional tests. How does that sound?"

"Great," Britta nodded, ignoring Jeff's smug smirk. "Hey, Rich, when everything with Tru gets sorted out, can you tell Annie to come out here? I'd like to speak with her."

"Sure thing." Rich smiled brightly and walked away.

"See? What did I tell you? Serial killer. He probably does experiments on test tube babies for fun."

"You're being ridiculous," Britta said, purposely not looking at Jeff.

"Says the girl who dated a shirtless hippie _and_ a Balkan genocidal maniac? No, I think my logic makes perfect sense."

"_Ugh,_" Britta intoned.

"But hey…" Jeff told her, his voice suddenly gentle and serious. "You should get some sleep while we wait."

Britta yawned as if on cue. "Okay."

She snuggled closer to Jeff, resting her head on Jeff's shoulder and closing her eyes. The slow rise and fall of Britta's chest only a few minutes later indicated to Jeff that Britta was fast asleep. He considered getting some sleep himself, but reasoned he should be the one to stay awake in case news about Tru was to come faster than expected. So he just resorted to flipping through a men's fashion magazine.

The journey ahead was a long one and the investigation was far from over.

* * *

Jack had kept a respectful distance from Jeff, Britta and – God forbid – Tru. He'd driven in his own car to the city hospital where Jeff and Britta were admitting Tru. He tried his hardest not to be seen, especially not with Jeff around. But it was killing him. His heart hurt for Britta and for Tru, but he stayed far enough away from Jeff and Britta where Britta didn't seem to notice him. Yet, he swore he could feel Jeff's eyes watching his every move.

He was about to leave and get back into his own car unsure of what to do next when he saw someone familiar in the hospital of the hallway. She looked busy, dressed in nurse's scrubs, a hijab covering her head in respect to her Muslim faith and a file in her hand. He briefly wondered if it was Tru's file.

Without hesitation, he moved closer to her as she started to walk in the other direction, not noticing him.

"Sonya…" he called out. "Sonya, I need to talk to you."

The woman stopped, turning around. Her face lit up upon recognizing him. "Jack? What are you…? How…?"

"My girlfriend was brought here," Jack told her, speaking in his best possible Arabic. "Actually I remember looking you up online a few months after I got out of the Shankman Center and the address listed was this hospital."

"How do you know Arabic?" she asked, responding back to him in her native tongue.

"I've picked up a few languages here and there," he said, grinning slightly. "I'm a bit rusty because I've never used Arabic in an actual conversation. Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," Sonya replied, now speaking in English. "It's been a long time, Jack."

"I know. But listen, my girlfriend Tru was brought in here and-…"

"Tru? I have her file right here," Sonya replied, holding it up. "I'm the secondary nurse in charge. Annie is the primary nurse. You really shouldn't worry. Tru really is getting the best care. And Annie always speaks so highly of Britta. I'm glad I finally got to meet her. She's resilient. She has a beautiful spirit. Like Tru, I can tell. Both women are fighters, warriors of the heart and mind."

"They are," Jack agreed. "Did you talk to Jeff?"

Sonya nodded. "He thinks that you're the one responsible for Tru's kidnapping and injuries."

"Tell him I'm not," Jack begged her. "I need you to convince him that I'm not the horrible person he thinks I am."

"That will come with time, Jack," Sonya replied reassuringly. "Just trust me."

"Time? How much time? Tru doesn't trust me, Jeff sure as hell doesn't. The only one that does is Britta and this investigation is starting to overwhelm her."

"I can't take sides," Sonya said honestly. "I have to act in the best interest of the patient and that is Tru. If I talk to Jack, it would be a breach of confidentiality. I can't put my job on the line like that. I agreed to help Annie with this case in case it becomes a conflict of interest, though Annie seemed pretty adamant about sticking with this case and helping Tru no matter what."

"The best interest of the patient?" Jack questioned, slightly skeptical. "What about when the patient was me?"

"I did what I had to do then," Sonya said plainly as the two shared a look, a memory…

_Sonya knocked on the door of Room 21C._

"_You can come in," a voice answered._

"_Hello, Jack," Sonya said upon entering the room. "If you still have company, I can come back later. I was just coming by to check up on you."_

"_She left. It's fine," Jack replied dismissively. "Come to give me my discharge papers?"_

"_No, Dr. Forester still wants to keep you here for a few more days. With your consent, of course."_

"_I can discharge myself if I wanted to," Jack told her matter-of-factly._

"_If that is your wish, I can't stop you. As long as the proper paperwork gets filled out."_

"_You know what I wish?" Jack suddenly spat angrily as he noticed Sonya writing notes on his file. "I wish relationships weren't so complicated. I wish I could just tell Britta to stay and not go to Greendale or Sunnydale or wherever the hell she wants to go now. She's impulsive like I am. We can make it work. I don't care if it was a one-night stand. I'm tired of all of this drama and I don't want to end up alone. Is that so much to ask?"_

_Sonya just listened, continuing to jot down detailed notes. _

"_I don't know, Jack," she replied, aware of her commitment to remain neutral, yet genuine and empathetic. They'd built up an interesting rapport during the months he resided at the Shankman Center and he felt like he could trust her._

_Sonya then looked down at the notes she'd just written. On Jack's file, a few legible sentences were written neatly in black ink. _

_PATIENT DISTRESSED. PATIENT SAID: "I'm tired of all of this drama and I don't want to end up alone. Is that so much to ask?"_

_Sonya looked at Jack, closed his file and sighed._

"Maybe," Jack replied quietly as they both came out of the reverie they had briefly shared. "As long as you don't bring in any of your metaphysical woop-de-doo into this, we'll be just peachy."

Sonya grinned. "I won't. I'm just intuitive, that's all."

While at the Shankman Center, Jack had learned quite a lot about Sonya. She'd moved from Jordan several years prior and lived with one of her brothers and his family in Arizona before moving temporarily to live with a friend in Berkeley, California. After deciding the hippie culture wasn't for her, she moved to New York to pursue work as a certified nurse. She was committed to helping people and she found it best suited her emotional and spiritual needs as a healer with an interest in psychology, healing arts and metaphysics. Her first job after receiving advanced certification in Nursing, similar to Annie but without the Masters degree, was at the Shankman Center. She still kept in touch with her friend from Berkeley who had moved to Los Angeles a few years later to pursue a career as a television writer. Although her work at the Shankman Center was full-time and, quite often, stressful and overwhelming, she never regretted it for a second. Meeting warm, friendly, out-going people like Annie made a job like hers worth it.

Meanwhile, several feet away, obscured by Jack and Sonya's line of vision, Jeff stood watching them and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number quickly.

"Troy and Abed FBI Spy Services, your one-stop shop for all of your FBI spy mission needs. Abed Nadir speaking."

"Abed," Jeff whispered into the phone. "You don't have to do that when I call."

"Sorry, Jeff. Standard FBI procedure. Plus, your number is blocked on our end. It came up as restricted."

"Nevermind then. Listen, I need you to track down a guy for me. He lives here in New York and is our main suspect in the kidnapping investigation involving Britta's friend Tru Davies. Apparently, they were dating and then she was kidnapped. So far, all fingers point to him, though Britta seems to think otherwise. But I don't trust this guy as far as I can throw him. Think you can do a little background search on this guy, find out what you know and give me a call back?"

"Will do. Oh, but before I go… Troy wanted to know if you've feed Annie's Boobs 2 recently. His diet is one mashed banana and-"

"Abed, I can handle the monkey. He stays in that large cage at the office anyway and one of the other associate agents is watching him for now."

"Cool, cool, cool. Just checking. Over and out."

And with that, Jeff hung up. Next plan of action: talk to Sonya again himself.

* * *

"Annie, can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Britta approached the doe-eyed brunette. Jeff had woken her an hour or so later and told her he needed to get up and stretch his legs. He would be back.

Sensing this was something urgent, Annie walked over and put down the files she was carrying on the desk at the far end of the nurse's station. It was her cubicle of sorts, but with no swivel chair.

"Sure, Britta, what's up?"

"Let's go into the restroom, okay? I'm not feeling so great."

Britta led Annie into the restroom, then made a run for one of the stalls and slammed the door behind her. She vomited again except now it was mostly bile because she realized she hadn't eaten recently. When was the last time she had a decent meal or even just a healthy snack? She'd been so busy working on Tru's case that besides water, she couldn't remember eating much in the past few days. And what about the weird cravings she started having?

_Damn hormones._

Concerned, Annie knocked on her restroom stall. "Britta, are you okay? Do you need me to get you something? Do you want me to get Jeff?"

"No… not Jeff," she replied, coughing violently one more time before opening the door of the restroom stall. "I'm pregnant, Annie. Or at least the pregnancy test told me so. It was positive. Plus, I fainted earlier and-"

She was cut off by a squeal only Annie could muster.

"OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! BRITTA!" she squealed again, hugging her friend tightly. And then in one breath, she said, "Did you tell Jeff? Do you think it's a boy or a girl? Do you have a name picked out? I can plan your baby shower!"

_Well, we all know how well Shirley's went when we were at Greendale. _Britta thought.

"Annie, calm down! Jeff doesn't even know I'm pregnant. I'm just… I'm just not ready to tell him and I trust you. Please don't tell him. I'm only telling you this because I think I need a blood test."

"Right. Well, come on then," Annie said, a little too over-eager, taking her friend's hand and leading her out of the bathroom.

"Oh, and Annie?" Britta whispered, a small smile on her face as they exited the bathroom together. "I think it's a girl."

* * *

When Tru was stabilized, she was brought into a hospital room. The place that would be her temporary home for the next week or so. Britta was by her side as soon as she was allowed to be, waiting for Tru to wake up and the effects of the drugs to wear off.

Sighing deeply, Britta leaned back in her chair. She couldn't think. Couldn't focus. Her mind was too fuzzy. It wasn't long after the blood test that Tru had been put in the hospital room. Jeff would come in and check on both of them every once in awhile, but he was busy dealing with the business and legal aspects of the investigation. Something Britta could not handle right now.

"Britta?" a voice brought her out of her reverie.

Jack.

"Hey, Tru is still sleeping. Come in."

"I'm still worried about you, Britta," Jack said as he crouched down in front of the chair Britta was sitting on. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"How many times do you have to ask me that?"

"How much longer will it be, Britta, before your own health fails and you're the one in this hospital?"

"That won't happen," Britta said through gritted teeth. "It just won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

Britta let out a frustrated sigh.

"Honestly, there isn't much I'm sure of right now. I had a blood test and now I'm waiting for the results. Tru's condition is mediocre at best. What is there to be sure of, Jack?"

"Tru's gonna be fine," Jack said, swallowing thickly and praying in the back of his mind that his words were not a lie. "But you… I see it… I see it in your face… your eyes… I recognize it because I've seen it in myself. You're falling apart, Britta. And this is exactly what Jensen wants. He's using you to get to Tru. Once he breaks you, manipulating Tru again will be easy."

"Then what do I do, Jack?" Britta looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Please then… tell me what to do. I'll do it. Anything. _Help me, Jack._"

It seemed so easy for Britta to break down into him just then. He was the only one who knew what was really going on. He knew things about this investigation that were completely out of her control. And if there was one thing Britta Perry hated now more than ever, it was not being able to be in control. She was in a position of power now.

_Britta Perry, FBI._ She liked the sound of that. She relished in it.

Screwing up was a part of her past. Indecisiveness and feeling lost and misguided. That was high school. Those were her anarchist days and the time she joined the Peace Corps for barely two months. Those times were for when she was carefree and had met a lot of different guys including Jack.

But now was not that time.

"It's okay, Britta. I'll help you as best I can, I promise."

She had leaned into him, crying into his chest in earnest.

"I can't… I can't… I can't do this anymore… help me…"

"Yes, you can. You just need some rest. When was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?"

"I-… I can't remember. It was before Tru's investigation. I just became so absorbed in my work and in this case that I haven't been getting much sleep."

"That's not good. That's not healthy for the baby either. You know that."

Britta nodded slowly as Jack gently wiped some of her tears away. Then he stood up.

"Here," he said, taking off his jacket and covering her with it. He was whispering again. "Tru will be fine. I see they've got her on a heart monitor and IV fluids and she's resting comfortably. You should try and get some proper rest now. Sleep, Britta. Just sleep."

Jack waited several minutes until Britta had fallen into a peaceful slumber. Then he went over to Tru's bedside and gently took one of her hands.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Tru, but I just want you to know that I love you."

Unbeknownst to Jack, Jeff was watching him from outside the room through the glass wall that separated them.

"I don't like where that's going," Jeff muttered under his breath.

Jack carefully looked at Tru's sleeping form as her chest rose and fell to her own rhythm. And then, for reasons Jack could not fathom, Tru's hand slowly closed around Jack's fingers.

Maybe Sonya was right, he started to reason with himself. Maybe all that was needed was a little more time.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **YAY! Another update! I was actually intending on putting more in this chapter, but it's getting long as it is, so I thought I'd stop here. Still a lot more to come, but I've been so excited to write this chapter. The Sonya character is in honor of my wonderful friend **Sonya** who has inspired me on many occasions and brightened my life with her wonderful friendship throughout these last few years. And credit also goes to my friend **Jessie** who is practically my twin. I greatly enjoy our morning brainstorming sessions. Thank you again for helping me turn this fic into something I didn't originally conceive of because it has become far more amazing than I ever thought possible. Once again, homework, my internship and scriptwriting takes priority for me, but I hope to have another chapter up sooner rather than later. Until next time… ;)


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Jack stayed in Tru's room awhile longer, maybe even longer than he should have. He didn't have to turn around to _feel _Jeff's wary eyes watching his every move. But he had to make sure the girls were okay. Both of them.

Britta moved slightly as something disturbed her in sleep and she moaned softly.

"Britta," Jack whispered as he left Tru's bedside and moved closer to the chair Britta was sleeping on. He gently took her hand in his. "It's gonna be okay, Britta."

"I'm sorry," she said, still struggling in her sleep. "Jeff, I'm sorry I haven't told you about the baby."

Jack sighed as he let go of Britta's hand and carefully brushed away excess strands of blonde hair from her face.

Then, without looking back at Tru or Britta, he left Tru's hospital room only to bump into none other than Jeff Winger.

"Jack, we need to talk."

* * *

"Good to see you, too, Jeff," Jack replied good-naturedly. "You need something?"

"What I need is for you to leave this hospital before I get a restraining order."

"You just don't give up, do you?" Jack countered. "You know, you should really listen-…"

"No, you listen! I need you to leave and I mean it. I'm having people in the FBI do a background check on you, Jack. And if I get the right evidence-…"

"Whoa, easy. A background check? On me? Look, Jeff, I know you don't trust me. I completely understand that, even if a part of me can't understand your screwed up reasoning behind it. I get it. But stop a minute and look at the bigger picture. You're not _listening._ Britta's really hurting right now and she really needs your support through all this. Whatever you think of me, I really don't care, but you need to get your head out of your ass and you need to start listening to your wife."

Jeff raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Anything else or do I have to have someone escort you from the premises?"

"Actually there is one more thing," Jack said, pulling a small black box from the back pocket of his jeans and opening it, revealing a ring inside. "The night that Tru was kidnapped I was going to propose to her. I love her and I wanted to marry her. I still want to marry her. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her, but I never got the chance to tell her that."

Jeff looked at the sparkling ring inside the box. It was an absolutely gorgeous arrangement of small diamonds and amethysts in a heart shaped pattern. With one deft movement, Jack closed the box.

"You're lucky I'm a strong believer in second chances."

And with that, Jack turned and walked away, leaving Jeff's all-knowing gaze fixated on his disappearing form.

* * *

Blank white walls and the pungent smell of disinfectant were the first things Tru noticed upon opening her eyes. She blinked once, twice, adjusting herself to her new surroundings. Then she glanced to her right to find Britta sitting beside her, a thick novel in her hands and a pen and a small legal pad in her lap.

She moaned slightly in discomfort and disorientation. Britta glanced over at her.

"Hey, you're awake. Welcome back." Britta whispered, smiling gently.

"What… what happened?" Tru asked, her tongue felt thick and rough in the back of her mouth and she struggled to form the words through a drugged haze.

"Jeff and I brought you to the hospital. You're in a recovery room." Britta put down the book beside her. "Would you like some water?"

Tru nodded as Britta filled a small paper cup with cool water from a water pitcher on Tru's makeshift nightstand. When Britta handed her the cup, she drank the water quickly and thirstily.

"More?" Britta asked her.

"No, thanks. I'm good," Tru replied, looking into the eyes of her trustworthy best friend from years past. "So you and Jeff brought me to the hospital. Then what?"

"You don't remember anything else?"

"I remember being scared. I didn't want to let go of Jeff because I didn't know where they were gonna take me. I didn't know if… I didn't know if I was gonna see you or Jeff again. And I think, knowing that, it freaked me out."

"Yeah," Britta replied. "They gave you a sedative to help keep you calm and check your injuries. You've been sleeping comfortably all day. My friend Annie is a nurse here. Her and the other nurse on call, Sonya, have been taking good care of you. I know you're scared, Tru, but you're in good hands here. I promise."

"I trust you, Britta, and I know that you want to help me. I just wish it didn't have to be under these circumstances."

Britta looked down, away from her friend, and didn't reply.

"What is it?" Tru asked softly, moving closer to the edge of the bed, leaning over the rail and reaching out to take Britta's hand in her own. "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing… it's… nothing's wrong," Britta replied, still not making eye contact with her friend. "Just thinking about high school and stuff… you know… how things used to be."

"So much has changed since then," Tru commented quietly. "I've changed… you've changed…"

Britta finally looked up, gazing into Tru's eyes. She then looked down at her friend's hand that was still clasping her own hand tightly. Her eyes travelled up Tru's arm as she noticed a rather large bandage on the major vein in the crook of her elbow.

"Tru, do you know what that is from?" she indicated the bandage. "I didn't notice it back when you were at the house."

"I… I think it's from when I was kidnapped. You know, I don't remember much still. It's all very fuzzy, but I remember waking up at some point… being tied down to a bed… and there was an IV in my arm. And then when I finally managed to escape, I…"

The words caught in her throat as tears started streaming down Tru's face. "Britta, I…"

"It's okay… just tell me when you're ready."

Tru nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

"I pulled it from my own arm. There was blood… and I knew I had to make it stop, so I used a loose piece of my blouse to stop the flow of blood and then I got out… I still don't know how, but I… I knew I had to escape."

By this time, Tru withdrew her hand from her friend's grasp and watched as Britta jotted down a few notes on her legal pad.

"Do you remember anything else?" Britta asked gently.

Tru shook her head vigorously in denial.

"No… it's… it's too fuzzy… I just… I can't…"

"It's okay. You don't have to right now."

Britta then looked up and across the room, noticing Jeff standing in the doorway.

"Sorry," Jeff apologized quickly. "Didn't mean to disrupt your girl bonding."

"It's fine," Britta replied. "What's up?"

Jeff walked towards Britta, leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I was just coming in to see if you were hungry. I know it's late, but I think the hospital cafeteria stays open late tonight. You want me to get you anything?"

"Blueberry yogurt with rainbow candy Skittles and Goldfish crackers mixed in. And maybe a cup of tea?"

Jeff's brow furrowed. "Well, that's an odd request, but sure. What about you, Tru? How are you feeling? You want something from the cafeteria?"

"No, it's okay. I'm not really hungry right now."

"I'll be back in a bit then. Are you sure you guys don't want anything else?"

"I think we're fine, Jeff," Britta replied.

"Hey, just doing my manly duty to make sure you two get your proper nourishment. Important for any time of day or night." His eyes met Britta's. "I love you."

Britta smiled. "I love you, too."

As Jeff started to leave the room, he felt his cell phone vibrate. Waiting until he was down the hall and on his way to the cafeteria, Jeff picked it up after it had buzzed at least four times.

"Abed," he said, speaking clearly into the phone. "You and Troy got something for me?"

"Actually we do," Abed told him. "This guy you're looking for… Jack Harper? Troy and I were able to trace his records to the Shankman Center."

"The mental institution?"

"It would appear that way. But that's not all. We looked into his file. It would appear that the guy checked himself in years ago, only to check himself out."

"Any reason why?" Jeff questioned.

"His diagnosis isn't exactly clear, but according to the doctor he was seeing at the time, he was considered unstable. He claimed he was reliving days."

"Well, there's a twist," Jeff remarked. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, there's one visitor on the sign-in sheet that came to visit him and it wasn't a relative."

"Okay, but how does that help us with this case?"

"Because that visitor was Britta."

Silence. Jeff couldn't even bring himself to think or speak. He just stopped in his tracks.

_Britta? Well, that would explain a few things…_

"Jeff, are you still there?" Abed asked, bringing Jeff out of his reverie.

"Yeah, Abed, I'm still here. But listen, I'm gonna need to call you back, okay? Keep me posted on what else you find out about Jack, though."

"Cool, cool, cool. We're on it."

Jeff slammed his phone shut as he made his way to the cafeteria.

_Britta and Jack? I really don't like where this is going._

* * *

The conversation between Tru and Britta changed after Jeff had left Tru's hospital room. Seeing as Tru's memories of her kidnapping were still hazy, Britta changed the subject. She licked her lips before speaking up again.

"Tru, there's something I need to tell you. It's about me and… I don't know, I just…"

"I'm listening," Tru chimed in, squeezing her friend's hand again. "Tell me. I don't wanna just end up talking about me all night."

"Well, I'm… I'm pregnant."

"Oh, my God, really? Congratulations!" Tru's face brightened with excitement. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Britta confirmed. "And thank you. But I haven't told Jeff yet, so just… just don't tell him, okay? I want to tell him when I feel like I'm ready to."

"You should tell him. He'll want to know."

"I know, but it never feels like the right time. And I have to focus on you right now and figuring out your case. In all that's happened these past few days, I haven't even really had time to think about how I feel about all of this. Then I get morning sickness and food cravings and I start remembering again. I remember I have another life growing inside me, a little someone that is my responsibility. I just don't think I'm ready to tell Jeff just yet. It's too much… too much."

Now it was Britta's turn to get emotional as tears streaked down her face. Tru sat up a bit and tugged on Britta's arm, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I do think he deserves to know. He loves you, Britta, and this baby is going to be loved by its mother _and _father."

"I think I'm having a girl," Britta whispered. "I've seen her in my dreams."

"Then this baby girl is going to be loved by _her_ mother and father. But take it from someone like me who lost their Mom at a very young age, you should tell him before it's too late. In my line of work, I've learned that we never get as many chances as we think we have… as many chances to tell someone we love them or celebrate with them… I've been lucky, though. In my line of work, I sometimes get to give those people the second chances they deserve, but it doesn't always work out that way. If he really loves you, he'll come to understand your point of view, even if it takes him awhile to warm up to the idea."

"Thanks, Tru. You always were the logical, responsible one in high school. Always the one to hold things together, even when we thought our lives were disasters."

"See, that's just it. I don't think our lives were disasters. I just think we had different means of expressing ourselves back then."

"I guess. But you were never a fan of Kim Kelly. You thought she was a bad influence on me. But you know something? I might've been just a tad bit jealous of you. I mean, you had it all in high school. The beauty _and_ the brains. I barely passed Chemistry!"

"That's because you barely showed up to class," Tru pointed out. "You're lucky you had me as a lab partner."

"I showed up to class!" Britta objected.

"Yeah, but your clothes smelled like pot when you did and you traded one of my favorite issues of _J-14_ magazine in for God knows how much weed and then smoked way more than one joint in the bathroom with Kim Kelly."

"So I wasn't perfect in high school. I didn't get straight A's and I never got asked to go to prom…"

"Um, you dropped out of high school before you could go to prom," Tru reminded her. "I don't think you gave yourself a fair chance. Plus, if you weren't already a high school senior you at least had to be asked by one."

"Says the girl who was probably asked!" Britta exclaimed.

"I was asked actually. But the guy was a total nerd, so I turned him down and went with some girlfriends instead."

"Really?" Britta quirked an eyebrow at her friend.

"Really," Tru confirmed. "I ended up just going with Casey and Lindsay and having a great time. And I remember wishing you were there."

"Casey? You mean, Casey Klein?" Britta asked.

"Yeah, Casey Klein. Why? Have you heard from her?"

"She catered my wedding when Jeff and I got married. She also catered our anniversary party. Her and her friends at Party Down Catering came all the way from Los Angeles to cater our events."

"Wow, that's amazing," Tru said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be at your wedding. Med school and working the graveyard shift at the city morgue has taken up a lot of my time recently."

"Trust me, I understand," Britta told her. "But Casey told me to tell you that she says 'hi' in case I ever saw you again before she did. She got a co-starring role in a new Diablo Cody film after she catered my anniversary party. That's the last I heard about her. Haven't heard from her directly since the anniversary party."

"I miss her," Tru whispered quietly. "She actually looks a lot like my med school friend Avery. But Avery's never mentioned having a twin sister."

Britta laughed softly. "So you do think about high school. About us."

"I do," Tru admitted. "But this is the first time I've really thought about my life, about how things were back then…"

* * *

"_You're late, Ms. Perry," Mr. Pena noted with a disapproving look as seventeen year old Britta Perry walked into Chemistry class fifteen minutes late._

_Shit. So much for sneaking in._

"_Please find your lab partner and take your seat," he continued._

_Britta found her friend, seventeen year old Tru Davies, sitting in one of the middle rows._

"_Hey," Britta whispered. "Sorry I'm late."_

"_Hey yourself," Tru replied. "Ugh, what's that smell?" Tru punched Britta lightly in the arm, then sucked in a quick breath, failing to hold it for long. _

"_Yeah, I'm sorry about that too, but it'll wear off," Britta answered, not seeming to care._

"_What has gotten into you?" Tru whispered harshly. "You smell like pot! Have you been smoking pot… again? Weren't you already given a warning by the principal about this? Didn't he threaten you with suspension?"_

"_That's not gonna happen," Britta said. "And why do you think you can keep saving me? Telling me that smoking pot is bad… blah, blah, blah. You can't be a good Samaritan to everyone, Tru. You can't save all of your friends or else you'd be doing the impossible."_

_Just then, Mr. Pena interrupted them. "Ms. Davies, Ms. Perry, please keep your voices down and work on your lab assignment. It's due at the end of class."_

"_Sorry," Tru apologized, nudging Britta who mouthed 'sorry' before shooting an annoyed glance at her friend. _

"_But I can still help you," Tru whispered again as she wrote down a few chemical equations from the blackboard. "Just let me help you. I know that there's a reason we're friends, Britta, but you need to let people like me and Casey into your life. Kim Kelly and those anarchist friends of yours? They're not gonna do anything for you. You see how messed up Kim Kelly is and now that she has a son, things are gonna be even tougher for her. But you're different than her. You're better than that."_

"_I'm sorry, I just…" And then Britta was quiet for a moment before speaking up again. "I do feel bad for Kim's kid. Then again, I did sleep with Kim's boyfriend, Daniel, and I recently sold your Beverly Hills, 90210 issue of J-14 magazine to one of Kim's cronies for a fresh bag of weed."_

"_You did what?" Tru whispered loudly, her mouth wide open in shock. _

"_Why do you look so surprised? I ripped out a Jason Priestley picture for you because I know you have a huge crush on him. You can hang it up on your wall."_

"_You know I'm not talking about the magazine," Tru said evenly, her tone suddenly very serious. "You slept with Kim's boyfriend?"_

"_The whole world doesn't have to know, Tru," Britta whispered back sourly. "Besides, I'm not feeling so great. Coming down from being high sucks."_

"_Listen, Britta, I'm just worried about you, okay? You, Lindsay and Casey Klein are my best friends. I hate when we fight like this. I just wanna be your friend and I wanna help you. So please, just let me help you. Please."_

_Britta looked into the large, brown trustworthy eyes of her friend. She knew she had it good. There was no other friend in the world like Tru. No other friend – girlfriend, at least – who could see her for who she really was and could call her on her own bullshit. But Tru had a knack for doing just that. _

_Britta sighed, taking a cylinder and filling it with water before spilling two pink drops into the clear liquid. She then looked over at Tru again who had busied herself with the chemistry lab assignment. Suddenly, as if to feel Britta's eyes watching her, she looked into the eyes of her friend and lab partner sitting beside her._

_And they both smiled._

* * *

"_Sonya, I presume?"_ Jensen asked, his athletic well-built frame blocking half of the doorway to Sonya's small, cluttered nurse's station cubicle.

Sonya looked up from her paperwork. "Can I help you with something?"

"_I'm Jensen Ritchie. And I think you know why I'm here," _Jensen replied cryptically.

Sonya stood up, eying him carefully. "Oh, my God… you… you…"

She had to lean against her desk to keep from losing her balance, her vision clouded slightly and she started getting dizzy.

"Shit!" she cursed in Arabic as a series of flashbacks assaulted her memory.

…_his piercing eyes watched as Tru and Jack walked through their favorite park together, wind in her hair as Jack kissed it, hands entwined…_

…_his right hand as it slapped Tru hard across the face and she cried, begging for him to stop…_

… _Tru lying on an unfamiliar bed somewhere, tossing and turning in an uneasy and seemingly drugged sleep…_

Sonya came out of her reverie, disconnecting with the visions Jensen had chosen to show her. She was breathing rather heavily.

"You hurt her, you bastard!" Sonya screamed, her hand instantly covering her mouth as she realized the intensity of her outburst.

"_Do you always let your emotions take priority over your work?" _Jensen questioned. _"Seems kinda problematic for a nurse if you ask me. Oh, wait… didn't you take special interest in Jack Harper's case when you worked at the Shankman Center years ago?" _

"You don't belong here," Sonya said evenly. "The manner in which I interact with my patients – both past and present – is not your concern. I think you should leave now."

Jensen didn't respond and there was a moment of uneasy silence before Sonya felt a warm presence and Tru appeared in front of her. It was her spirit. Something was definitely wrong.

Tru looked at Jensen, then at Sonya.

"Help me," she said, her voice quivering.

Just then, the phone on Sonya's desk beeped. Without hesitation, she pushed the button that put the phone in speaker mode.

"Sonya here," she answered.

"Sonya, we have a Code Blue in Room 412. The room of patient Tru Davies. I've just been notified that's she's gone into cardiac arrest." Annie's voice came in loud and clear over the phone line.

"I'll be right there, Annie," Sonya replied.

Jensen still stood in the doorway smiling all-knowingly while Tru still looked scared.

"You're responsible for this, aren't you?" Sonya asked, glaring at the man opposite her as he disappeared.

"Help…" Tru whispered, softer this time.

"Tru," Sonya said as calmly as she could muster, "you need to go back into your body. Your spiritual self is not safe out here. Not like this. Come with me back to your room, okay? We have to hurry!"

She didn't know where Jensen had disappeared to, but now was not the time to worry about him as she rushed down the hallway to Room 412.

Annie was already there and the room had erupted into a scene of chaos.

"Look, can we just focus on Tru right now? Her heart monitor just went all wonky. She could be dying!" Britta yelled.

"When were you gonna tell me, Britta? When were you gonna tell me that this Jackass who claims to be Tru's boyfriend was your fuck buddy?" Jeff yelled back, enormous amounts of rage coloring his tone.

"It wasn't like that, okay? It was a long time ago! And I think we have more important things to worry about right now!"

"Guys!" Annie interrupted them. "Jeez, can you two stop fighting and _focus_? Your friend's life is at stake. Can you just let Sonya and I do our jobs and stop thinking about yourselves for once?"

Britta and Jeff instantly shut up and stepped back, letting Annie and Sonya get to work on resuscitating Tru.

Tru's spirit now dangled precariously right above her own body. She still looked apprehensive, but Sonya gave her a quick, reassuring nod as she went back inside.

Annie was the one performing CPR. She was having trouble getting Tru's pulse.

Jeff and Britta looked at each other, their fight forgotten… for now. Britta had tears in her eyes.

"Come on, Tru," she whispered. "Please…"

1… 2… 3…

"Come on, Tru," Sonya whispered. "You can fight this. You can fight him. Please come back to us."

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **Another chapter has come to an end! Special thanks once again to **Jessie **and **Sonya** whose ideas and insight keep motivated to write this fic. I'm hoping to post a few more chapters of this story this summer now that I am not in school. Many twists and turns still lie ahead, my friends! Also, this story has two more crossovers from two different shows, one being _Freaks and Geeks_ and featuring the Kim Kelly character and the other being _Party Down,_ which will later feature more of the main cast, but specifically Casey Klein for now. Lizzy Caplan portrays both Casey and Avery. So stay tuned, please review and thanks for reading!

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SONYA! I KNOW IT'S A BIT EARLY FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY AND A GIFT, BUT I HOPE THIS FIC FINDS YOU WELL AND YOU HAVE AN AMAZING BIRTHDAY!**


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